Newswise — The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently named 73 units — including 60 adult, four pediatric critical care and nine progressive care units — nationwide recipients of the spring 2010 Beacon Award for Excellence.

Spring 2010 Beacon Awards mark the second, third and fourth such honor for several units and brings to 315 the total number of Beacon Awards given to date, roughly a 34 percent increase from fall 2009. AACN expanded eligibility for this honor, previously awarded only to adult critical care units, to pediatric intensive care and progressive care units.

Noting a rise in progressive care awards, AACN President Beth Hammer, RN, MSN, APN-BC, praises the spring 2010 recipients for their achievement and commitment to the organization’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards.

“Beacon Award recipients join an elite community of adult, pediatric and progressive care units that embrace evidence-based standards of excellence in recruitment, retention, education, training and mentoring. Units that receive this award serve as shining role models to other unit staff members who seek to optimize the care they provide to patients and families,” she explains.

Beacon Awards recognize adult and pediatric critical care and progressive care units that meet evidence-based standards of excellence and patient safety. Events, sessions and a “Wall of Honor” will recognize the fall 2009 and spring 2010 recipients of this prize at this year’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, May 15-20 in Washington, D.C.

Recipients of the Spring 2010 Beacon Award are: ADULT CRITICAL CAREFour-time recipient* Cardiovascular ICU, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, N.Y.

Three-time recipients* Surgical ICU, Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio.* 7 South 1&2 ICU, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston.* Neuro ICU, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.* 5SE Cardiovascular ICU, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle.

Two-time recipients* Neuroscience ICU, Tampa General Hospital, Fla.* Medical ICU, Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio.* Medical ICU Unit 65, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City.* CSICU, Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, N.J.* Coronary Care Unit, Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, N.J.* ICU, Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, N.J.* Cardiac & Surgical ICU, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.* ICU, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, Ore.* Surgical Trauma ICU, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.* Neuroscience ICU, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.* Neuroscience ICU, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Va.* 2-South ICU, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, Wash.

First-time recipients* Cardiovasular Surgery Unit, Brookwood Medical Center, Homewood, Ala.* Coronary ICU, St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno, Calif.* Surgical ICU, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, Calif.* Medical ICU, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa, Calif.* Medical-Surgical 9 ICU, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco.* CCU, North Colorado Medical Center, Greeley.* Florence Busby CCU, William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich, Conn.* Kent ICU, Bayhealth Medical Center, Dover, Del.* ICU, Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Fla.* Medical-Surgical ICU, Shands at the University of Florida, Gainesville.* 71 Medical ICU, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta.* Surgical ICU 2 South, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill.* ICU, Glenbrook Hospital, Glenview, Ill.* Neuroscience ICU, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.* ICU, Goshen General Hospital, Ind.* Neuroscience ICU, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City.* Cardiothoracic ICU, University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City.* Cardiac Surgery ICU, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.* CICU 8 South, Children’s Hospital, Boston.* Cardiothoracic ICU, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, Md.* Surgical ICU-5D, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor.* Station 20 Med/Surg/Neuro ICU, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis.* Coronary ICU, Regions Hospital, St. Paul, Minn.* Cardiac ICU, East Carolina Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville, N.C.* ICU, Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains, N.J.* ICU, Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, N.J.* Coronary Care Unit, Morristown Memorial Hospital, N.J.* Medical-Surgical ICU, St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Paterson, N.J.* CardioPulmonary Surgery, Albany Medical Center, N.Y.* Surgical ICU, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, N.Y.* Surgical ICU, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio.* Cardiac ICU, University Hospitals of Cleveland.* Cardiac Care Unit, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.* Medical Intensive Care – Founders 9, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.* ICU, Lancaster General Hospital, Pa.* Cardiothoracic ICU, Rhode Island Hospital, Jane Brown Building, Providence.* Cardiovascular ICU, Methodist Hospital, Houston.* 7 South 3 ICU, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston.* Transplant Intensive Care, University Hospital, San Antonio.* Medical Surgical ICU, Inova Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, Va.* Coronary ICU, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Va.* Cardiovascular ICU, Tacoma General Hospital, Wash.* Coronary ICU, Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee.

PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CAREFirst-time recipients* Pediatric ICU, Children’s Hospital Central CA, Madera, Calif.* Pediatric ICU, Miami Children’s Hospital, Fla.* Rainbow Babies & Children’s PICU, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland.* Pediatric Trauma ICU, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle.

PROGRESSIVE CARETwo-time recipient* Silverstein 10 Progressive Care Unit, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

First-time recipients* Progressive Care Unit, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore.* 4-Heart Progressive Care ICU, Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids, Minn.* 3 West Progressive Care ICU, Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids, Minn.* 3E Telemetry Unit, Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park, Minn.* 6 South Progressive Care Unit, Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, Mich.* Intermediate ICU, Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, N.J.* One North Progressive Care Unit, Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, N.J.* Cardiovascular Stepdown Unit, The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati.

About the Beacon Award for Excellence: Established in 2003, AACN’s Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes top U.S. adult and pediatric critical care units and progressive care units that meet standards of excellence in recruitment and retention; education, training and mentoring; research and evidence-based practice; patient outcomes; leadership and organizational ethics; and creation of a healthy work environment. Beacon Award criteria — which measure systems, outcomes and environments against evidence-based national criteria for excellence — provide a mechanism to initiate patient safety efforts. To learn more about the Beacon Award for Excellence, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call (800) 899-2226.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization's vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme, #NTI2010.